Broward College and Miami Dade College are among four Florida institutions awarded additional funding to create pathways for aspiring educators.
On Tuesday, Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. announced that $5 million in funding from the Pathways to Career Opportunities Grow Your Own Teacher Grant would be distributed to enhance the state’s teacher apprenticeship programs and strengthen the teacher pipeline.
A total of seven institutions across the state will receive funds to expand or create no-cost teacher apprenticeship programs, which aim to prepare future educators for the classroom. Broward College and Miami Dade College, alongside Florida A&M University and Seminole State College, will receive a combined total of $4,348,921 to build on their 2023-2024 program allocations.
In addition, three new colleges—St. Petersburg College, Polk State College, and Tallahassee State College—will receive a total of $1,095,373 to develop new teacher apprenticeship opportunities.
The funding follows legislation signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2023, establishing the Teacher Apprenticeship Program through HB 1035. The bill, which allocated $1.05 billion for teacher pay, aims to provide greater access to teacher training and create pathways for individuals to enter the profession.
The Pathways program encourages applicants from high schools, charter centers, technical career centers, and Florida College System institutions to apply for apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship programs. In December, Governor DeSantis awarded an additional $5 million to further expand teacher apprenticeship opportunities in the state, with the goal of training more than 200 teachers annually.
These efforts reflect the state’s ongoing commitment to addressing teacher shortages and ensuring a strong, sustainable workforce for Florida’s schools.
